Shipbuilding giant's digital solutions unit anchors Chair Chung Ki-sun’s strategy for smart, sustainable shipping
HD Hyundai Marine Solution, the maritime service arm of HD Hyundai Group, is accelerating its role as a core innovation driver for the conglomerate’s transition toward sustainable, technology-driven growth, according to Choi Bong-jun, managing director and head of the firm’s digital technology center.
Founded in 2016 through the integration of service divisions within HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the company began as an after-sales service provider for ships, but has since expanded into eco-friendly, digital and bunkering solutions. Its evolution reflects Chair Chung Ki-sun’s vision to move HD Hyundai beyond traditional shipbuilding into advanced service and data-based businesses.
The company was reinforced in a recent leadership reshuffle that elevated Kim Sung-joon, former CEO at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, to CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Solution. Choi said the appointment signals a stronger push for technological integration across the group.
At the heart of this effort is HD Hyundai’s software-defined vessel initiative — a system integrating real-time data from navigation, engine and operational systems. While HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering develops eco-friendly ship designs and Avikus leads autonomous navigation, HD Hyundai Marine Solution connects them through digital control and optimization platforms.
The company’s flagship platform, OceanWise, uses artificial intelligence and digital twin technology to enhance fuel efficiency and cut emissions by optimizing vessel routes. “In performance tests covering 106,000 kilometers last year, OceanWise delivered an average 5.3 percent fuel savings — about 350 million won annually per vessel,” Choi said.
OceanWise currently supports over 550 vessel models, including container ships and liquefied natural gas carriers, with expansion plans for ammonia-fueled vessels as well as electric, hydrogen and small modular reactor-powered ships. The company is deepening global partnerships with shipping lines and classification societies, especially in Europe and Singapore, where regulatory focus on carbon reduction is driving demand.
HD Hyundai Marine Solution’s sustainability drive was in the spotlight at the APEC Future Tech Forum earlier this week in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where the firm showcased OceanWise as a model for how AI-driven systems can accelerate the maritime industry’s energy transition.
“As maritime industries embrace digital transformation, our goal is to provide smart, reliable solutions that support both efficiency and sustainability,” Choi said.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
